tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7815564874722496808.post6352245592296885960..comments2023-04-27T03:36:36.821-05:00Comments on The Periodic Table: Mr. B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02067666077743889680noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7815564874722496808.post-85576975618426143542010-07-06T11:28:06.995-05:002010-07-06T11:28:06.995-05:00It is complicated, but briefly the problem is the ...It is complicated, but briefly the problem is the assignment of overhead by the granting agency. Crudely speaking, about 50% of the cost of a grant is given to the university for expenses that are incurred by grantees, such as heat, light, libraries, etc. According to VP Mulcahy - and I believe this - this leaves approximately 25% of the indirect expenses of the grant uncovered so that the money has to come from some place else. It should be noted that the overhead for private universities is approximately 100%! One might ask why this is...<br /><br />According to today's Wall Street Journal, the U of M's stimulus funding incurred additional uncovered expenses of sixty [sic] million dollars. So to pretend that we are somehow going to grow ourselves out of financial problems by getting more grants is absurd. <br /><br />We really need to get some sort of agreement with the state that these excess costs will be covered. Otherwise, we may have to actully CUT back on grant seeking?<br /><br />As to "in kind" it is as you rightly point out another can of worms.Mr. B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02067666077743889680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7815564874722496808.post-71766173046998701102010-07-06T11:19:41.839-05:002010-07-06T11:19:41.839-05:00I know I'm way late on this, I just found your...I know I'm way late on this, I just found your blog yesterday, but ... Would it be too difficult to explain this question of the U not covering their costs on research grants? I know that private companies get federal research contracts, cover their costs, AND make a healthy profit. I believe that the rules may be different for the U, maybe because it's a state organization, or is it because it's non-profit? Perhaps there's a difference between a "grant" and a "contract" but a company I know of has both and profits.<br /><br />Does the U bid a lot of in-kind contributions to keep bids low? I know of at least one recent grant that included 3 PI's with part of their salaries counted as in-kind. What a mess that is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7815564874722496808.post-22999237595352584432010-04-15T10:08:35.584-05:002010-04-15T10:08:35.584-05:00Bill, I knew this would get your attention! Would ...Bill, I knew this would get your attention! Would also like to know how much of the additional state revenues from 2005-8 were spent in hopes of securing these grants. My sense is that the strategic positioning plan has favored areas of the u that can secure these big grants. Such short-sighted planning.madradprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16830506855719289928noreply@blogger.com